Nevada Union HS grad Daley suspended 50 games for banned substances

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Nevada Union High School graduate and 2012 Midland Rockhound pitcher Gary Daley Jr. has been suspended 50 games after testing positive for banned substances.

Daley, who went 10-10 with a 5.11 ERA in 2012 for the Rockhounds, a Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, tested positive for methylphenidate, according to an Associated Press report.

Daley and the Rockhounds could not be reached for comment Friday.

Daley’s high school baseball coach Ted White said he was surprised to hear of the positive test and suspension.

“He was a great player for our program,” White said. “He was one of our starters, and he played shortstop when he wasn’t pitching. This is very surprising.

“In professional sports, you have such a small window of opportunity, and sometimes it leads to the wrong choice.”

After three years playing college baseball at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Daley was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round (106th overall) of the June 2006 First-Year Player Draft. He was released by the Cardinals in July of 2010, and signed by the Athletics in August of 2010 as a minor league free agent.

In June of 2011, Daley was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week.

Minor league free agent first baseman Austin Gallagher was also suspended, the AP reported. Gallagher tested positive for methylhexaneamine. He hit .283 with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs last season for Class A Rancho Cucamonga in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization.

There have been six suspensions this year under the minor league drug-testing program.